Original Six: Worst Bruins trades of the last two decades

From the famous Neely-for-Pederson swap more than a
quarter-century ago to last year’s pivotal pickups of Chris
Kelly and Rich Peverley, the Bruins have come out on top in a
number of trades throughout their history. However, that
isn’t to say there haven’t been a number of dismal
deals that didn’t make sense at the time and only seem more
baffling today. Here are the worst Bruins trades of the past two
decades:

6. Round Robyn

To Colorado: First-round pick in 1998

To Boston: Landon Wilson, Anders Myrvold

Guilty GM: Harry Sinden

What exactly do I remember about Landon Wilson’s tenure in
Boston? He actually scored a playoff goal once — against the
Hurricanes in 1999, for those wondering. As for Anders Myrvold? Not
a darn thing.

That’s exactly what the Bruins got in return when they
sent a first-round pick to the Avalanche in a 1996 swap.

Colorado went on to select Robyn Regehr, one of the top shutdown
defensemen in the game, who played a huge role in Calgary’s
run to the finals in 2004.

Now in Buffalo, he’ll likely play in career game No. 900
this season, an accomplishment neither Wilson nor Myrvold came
within a country mile of.

5. Joé? No way!

To Washington: Joé Juneau

To Boston: Al Iafrate

Guilty GM: Harry Sinden

In a move that defines shortsightedness, the Bruins decided that
second-year pro Joé Juneau — fresh off a 102-point
rookie year — was expendable when they shipped him to the
Capitals during the 1993-94 season, acquiring defenseman Al
Iafrate.

The man with the balding mullet and booming shot thrived down
the stretch and in two rounds of postseason play, but that was all
she wrote for Iafrate in Boston, as the wacky rearguard’s
career was derailed by injuries.

Juneau never was as sensational as he was in those first two
seasons but proved to be a reliable winger with a propensity for
clutch playoff performances for a decade following the deal.

4. Superstars? We’ll pass

To San Jose: 16th pick in 2003

To Boston: 21st, 66th and 107th pick in 2003

Guilty GM: Mike O’Connell

Let’s not kid ourselves here. Gritty D-man Mark Stuart was
as well-liked as any Bruin both inside the dressing room and
throughout the stands during his days in Boston. But that
can’t change the fact that the Bruins made a huge blunder
when they traded away the 16th pick knowing they could grab Stuart
21st overall back in 2003.

Sure, San Jose picked an eventual journeyman in Steve Bernier,
but realizing that a few soon-to-be superstars went in the next few
spots must send a shiver down the spines of any Bruins fan.

Everyone understood why the Bruins shipped off their longtime
captain, Ray Bourque, to Colorado in 2000. The Avalanche were a
contender, and No. 77 was never going to hoist hockey’s Holy
Grail in Boston. Still, the swap was emotionally devastating at the
time.

In terms of a silver lining — aside from the joy of seeing
Bourque win it all the following season — B’s fans got
four very solid seasons out of Rolston, but that was about it.

Boston foolishly gave up on Pahlsson too quickly, Grenier
bounced around the minors for a number of clubs and the
first-rounder (Martin Samuelsson) was a total bust.

2. Flash in the pan

To Chicago: Kris Versteeg

To Boston: Brandon Bochenski

Guilty GM: Peter Chiarelli

With 22 points in 31 games for the Bruins, Brandon Bochenski was
nearly the saving grace for the Black and Gold during their
miserable 2006-07 season. Boston fans genuinely thought
they’d found the next Glen Murray.

Roughly five minutes later, that dream got thrown in the barrel
and dragged to the curb.

Bochenski “bulked up” (I’m winking at you)
during the following offseason, couldn’t hit water if he fell
out of a boat and promptly was traded away. He’s now in the
KHL.

Kris Versteeg, meanwhile, almost won Rookie of the Year, helped
Chicago win the Cup and now averages nearly a point per game for
the Panthers.

1. A Jumbo mistake

To San Jose: Joe Thornton

To Boston: Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm

Guilty GM: Mike O’Connell

Many fans like to rationalize the 2005 deal that sent Joe
Thornton to the Sharks. But no matter how much they think
Thornton’s a playoff choke artist or that the move paved the
way for signing Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, they’re just
slapping lipstick on one homely pig.

The trade, quite simply, stunk on infinite levels. The Bruins
traded the face of their franchise — and drove a large
portion of their fan base to the exits — in exchange for a
slightly-above-average scorer in Sturm, a dime-a-dozen grinder in
Primeau and a malcontent who never lived up to the hype in Stuart.
O’Connell got fleeced and, not too long later, fittingly got
canned.

This article originally appeared in the February 2012 issue
ofNew EnglandHockey Journal.